Influence of cylindrical slotted holes on the fatigue performance of overhead crane wheels

Overhead cranes are widely used in industrial applications, and among their various components, the wheels are critically important, as they account for the highest rate of failures. Given that these wheels are subjected to dynamic loading conditions, fatigue is the principal mechanism governing their failure and wear. This study investigated the effect of adding cylindrical slotted holes to the wheel wall on the distribution of static stress and the wheel's fatigue life. The objective was to maximize the hole diameter to minimize material usage and manufacturing costs, while maintaining acceptable performance and fatigue life within acceptable parameters. A 60-ton nominal capacity overhead crane wheel was selected for this investigation. Static loading on the wheel was simulated using the finite element method (FEM) to determine the effective stress and static safety factors in the regions where holes were added. To validate the numerical results, experimental load tests were also conducted on the crane wheel. Subsequently, utilizing the outputs from the loading simulation, a fatigue analysis was performed numerically using the Dang Van criterion to determine the wheel's fatigue safety factor. This process was iterated for cylindrical, slotted holes with diameters ranging from 10 to 70 mm. Furthermore, the requirements of international standards for overhead crane design were incorporated. The results indicate that, for an AISI 1045 steel wheel under the specified loading conditions, an optimal maximum hole diameter of 33 mm is achievable. This geometry yields a 9.8% reduction in material consumption while preserving operational safety and performance.